his mother would berate him for his choice.
***
Slade slapped Hislop on the shoulder. "It went better than I expected."
Hislop glared at him until Slade removed his hand. "Oxley is more of a fool than we thought."
"Indeed." Slade rubbed his hands together, thinking hard. "Yet he was menacing. Did you see that wild look in his eyes? I thought he'd kill you with his bare hands when you went to hit her. Pretending to hurt her was a stroke of genius."
"I wasn't pretending."
Slade eyed his man warily. He could well believe that Hislop would have hurt Cat again; just because he wanted to, not for any ulterior motive. Ever since Slade had given him free reign with his fists, he'd been champing at the bit waiting for her to give him an excuse to hit her. "It was fortunate that Oxley's protective instincts overrode any sensible ones. He'll come to his senses soon enough and realize the poor match he has made. But you and I are both witnesses to his proposal. He can't back out now."
"The man's a fool," Hislop said again. "Your idea was clever."
Slade puffed out his chest. Indeed it was clever. Brilliant! He had only hoped to get Oxley to take Cat as his mistress. He'd never expected him to marry her! When he'd seen her reluctance to become his mistress, and the way Oxley reacted to the bruise on Cat's face, Slade had known what to do. Urge her further along that path, and when she failed, as he suspected she would, threaten to hurt her. Oxley would be forced to take her as his mistress just to protect her. But it would seem Oxley didn't want a mistress, he wanted a wife.
Even better. Now Cat could have access to all of Oxley House, not just his person. Given time, she would know for sure if Oxley was the assassin or not, and whether he suspected Slade had hired him to kill Stephen.
"Are you going to talk to her about what she needs to do next?" Hislop asked.
"No. She won't listen now. We've planted the seeds in her head and that's enough for the moment. If I'm right and Oxley is the assassin, she'll find out soon enough. And when she does, she'll come and tell me because she'll be too angry at her second husband for killing her first. Angry, frightened or sickened, it doesn't matter which. Just as long as she knows she can come running back here."
"The more I see of him, the more I think it is him," Hislop said, staring at the door through which Oxley had left. "The fop is definitely an act, which for some reason he wants to maintain. But he's no fool."
"Except when it comes to women."
Hislop grunted a laugh. "Aye, except when it comes to women."
CHAPTER 6
Cat saw her betrothed very little on the journey to his Hampshire estate. He had no horse or carriage for her, so she had to sit beside the cart driver. Oxley rode ahead each day. She rather liked watching him from behind. He removed his cloak when it grew warm, giving her a nice view of his broad back and shoulders, straining the seams of his doublet. He moved effortlessly with the horse, and she found the gentle rocking of his body enthralling. She couldn't tear her gaze away, and anyway, why should she? He was almost her husband. She would be seeing more of him in the days to come.
The thought made her head giddy and her heart race. Every part of her tingled as if his hands ran lightly over her skin, exploring, teasing. She had not felt this much anticipation before her first wedding night.
They stopped to dine at midday and secured rooms in traveling inns along the way. She expected an earl of Oxley's standing to stay in grand houses, but he didn't approach any of the estate gates they passed. Indeed, he didn't even introduce himself to the various innkeepers. He simply asked for chambers and was granted them. They must have known him. She did spot him talking to one or two keeps and inn servants, their heads bent in quiet discussion. It was as if he were their equal and not on a higher level at all.
From time to time, he fell back to speak to her on
***
Slade slapped Hislop on the shoulder. "It went better than I expected."
Hislop glared at him until Slade removed his hand. "Oxley is more of a fool than we thought."
"Indeed." Slade rubbed his hands together, thinking hard. "Yet he was menacing. Did you see that wild look in his eyes? I thought he'd kill you with his bare hands when you went to hit her. Pretending to hurt her was a stroke of genius."
"I wasn't pretending."
Slade eyed his man warily. He could well believe that Hislop would have hurt Cat again; just because he wanted to, not for any ulterior motive. Ever since Slade had given him free reign with his fists, he'd been champing at the bit waiting for her to give him an excuse to hit her. "It was fortunate that Oxley's protective instincts overrode any sensible ones. He'll come to his senses soon enough and realize the poor match he has made. But you and I are both witnesses to his proposal. He can't back out now."
"The man's a fool," Hislop said again. "Your idea was clever."
Slade puffed out his chest. Indeed it was clever. Brilliant! He had only hoped to get Oxley to take Cat as his mistress. He'd never expected him to marry her! When he'd seen her reluctance to become his mistress, and the way Oxley reacted to the bruise on Cat's face, Slade had known what to do. Urge her further along that path, and when she failed, as he suspected she would, threaten to hurt her. Oxley would be forced to take her as his mistress just to protect her. But it would seem Oxley didn't want a mistress, he wanted a wife.
Even better. Now Cat could have access to all of Oxley House, not just his person. Given time, she would know for sure if Oxley was the assassin or not, and whether he suspected Slade had hired him to kill Stephen.
"Are you going to talk to her about what she needs to do next?" Hislop asked.
"No. She won't listen now. We've planted the seeds in her head and that's enough for the moment. If I'm right and Oxley is the assassin, she'll find out soon enough. And when she does, she'll come and tell me because she'll be too angry at her second husband for killing her first. Angry, frightened or sickened, it doesn't matter which. Just as long as she knows she can come running back here."
"The more I see of him, the more I think it is him," Hislop said, staring at the door through which Oxley had left. "The fop is definitely an act, which for some reason he wants to maintain. But he's no fool."
"Except when it comes to women."
Hislop grunted a laugh. "Aye, except when it comes to women."
CHAPTER 6
Cat saw her betrothed very little on the journey to his Hampshire estate. He had no horse or carriage for her, so she had to sit beside the cart driver. Oxley rode ahead each day. She rather liked watching him from behind. He removed his cloak when it grew warm, giving her a nice view of his broad back and shoulders, straining the seams of his doublet. He moved effortlessly with the horse, and she found the gentle rocking of his body enthralling. She couldn't tear her gaze away, and anyway, why should she? He was almost her husband. She would be seeing more of him in the days to come.
The thought made her head giddy and her heart race. Every part of her tingled as if his hands ran lightly over her skin, exploring, teasing. She had not felt this much anticipation before her first wedding night.
They stopped to dine at midday and secured rooms in traveling inns along the way. She expected an earl of Oxley's standing to stay in grand houses, but he didn't approach any of the estate gates they passed. Indeed, he didn't even introduce himself to the various innkeepers. He simply asked for chambers and was granted them. They must have known him. She did spot him talking to one or two keeps and inn servants, their heads bent in quiet discussion. It was as if he were their equal and not on a higher level at all.
From time to time, he fell back to speak to her on
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